


A Pattern's Set

by Diary



Series: Argent Pack [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Adopted Allison Argent, Adopted Children, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire, Awkward Conversations, Bechdel Test Pass, Canon Character of Color, Chris Argent-centric, F/M, Family, Friendship/Love, Interspecies Romance, Late Night Conversations, POV Multiple, Romance, Werewolf Allison Argent, Werewolf Victoria Argent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-08
Updated: 2016-03-08
Packaged: 2018-05-25 12:03:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6194464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reposted under a different title. AU. “And now,” Talia observes with unbearable pity, “your heart lost its steadiness, and your breath hitched.” Complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Pattern's Set

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Teen Wolf.

_Some werewolves are tame, but they all have the potential to be monsters. Leave the tame ones alone, but never trust them. Always be ready to strike if they reach their potential._

The facts swirl through his head as he looks at the wreckage Kate has caused. 

 _No_ , he tells himself. A fire burnt down a local house. The bodies of the creatures pulled out are a tragic loss. They were innocent, but blaming hunters, especially his sister, is just as horrible. The family fit within the code.

 _Kate wouldn’t do this_ , he insists.

Looking around, he sees no one is nearby and finds himself ducking under the crime scene tape and jumping over the fence.

The now burnt house was a two-story brick home with nothing but country surrounding it for miles. There’s a pond, a set of swings, and a trampoline. Near the burnt house is a smoke-covered child’s bicycle and a untouched minivan and Buick.

It was a small pack, he knows. There were four bodies pulled out.

Something freezes inside of him.

One of the bodies was of a teenager, but there were no small children.

Calling for the knowledge of how to deal with smoky air, he carefully opens the front door, and being careful to avoid areas of structural instability, makes his way through the house.

There’s nothing on the top or bottom floor or up in the attic. When he gets to the door of the basement, he hesitates and wonders if he really wants to continue breathing in the chokingly, dizzying, eye-watering air just to potentially retrieve some corpses. The dead are only owed so much respect.

Then, the hair on his arms stands at attention as a strong howl emanates from behind the door.

“Jesus,” he mutters.

When he reaches the bottom, he withdraws his gun and makes sure his pocketknife is easily accessible.

Walking carefully, he finally pinpoints where the noise came from, and he hastily puts his gun away.

On the floor are a little girl and a young woman. They’re both horrifically burned, and the girl is convulsing as almost imperceptible black veins protrude against her soot-covered skin. “Please, Mommy,” she cries. “Please, wake up, now. Mommy, please. It hurts, but I’m trying. Mommy, please."

Another loud roar fills the air, and the woman’s eyes flicker open for less than two seconds.

He doesn’t know if the blue eyes are her normal human ones or her wolf ones, but as soon as the thought hits, he wonders if he isn’t some kind of monster to care more about trying to make the classification than a badly hurt, unconscious mother and her terrified, hurt child.

“Don’t be scared,” he says.

Jumping, the child crawls under one of her mother’s arms, stares at him, and growls.

“My name is Chris,” he softly informs her. “I need to get you and your mother to a hospital, sweetheart. Will you please let me pick her up and carry her to the van?”

“Are you a hunter,” she demands.

Black veins continue to cross her face.

“Did a hunter do this?”

She nods.

He almost swears but catches himself. “I’m not saying I don’t believe you, sweetheart, but I promise you, no hunter should have. Hunters are only supposed to- If someone’s hurting a human, hunters are supposed to help the human and keep them safe. Do you know what it means when someone has a steady heartbeat?”

“Telling the truth,” she answers. 

“Listen to my heart. I am a hunter, but I had nothing to do with this. And all I want to do right now is get you and your mommy to a hospital. She can’t heal by herself. She needs medicine and a safe, clean place. Will you please let me pick her up and carry her to the van?”

She hesitates for a long moment, but finally, she nods and crawls out from underneath the arm.

Please, he prays, as he moves to the woman, please, stay alive.

She’s taller and heavier than he is, and he almost drops her when a claw suddenly swipes across his face.

“Mommy, no! I listened to his heart, and he needs to take us to the hospital!”

Whether she hears her daughter or just loses consciousness again, he manages to get them to the van without further incident.

“Can you open the door?”

In response, the little girl moves away, runs, flips up, and crashes through one of the windows.

Wincing at the blood on the glass, his back protests, and he makes a plan to start doing more weight lifting.

After she unlocks and opens the door, he asks, “Can you get the glass out, sweetheart? Your mom can’t heal like you can right now.”

Doing so, she makes the seats move back.

He sets the woman down, and the little girl immediately puts her hands on her mother’s face.

 _She’s so strong_ , he observes. Closing the door, he climbs into the driver’s seat. _She shouldn’t have to be this strong at so young. Kate, what have you done?_

He hotwires the van. “I’m going to drive slowly and carefully, but try to keep your mom still, okay?”

Nodding, she leans against the wall and gently puts her mother’s head in her lap.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“Allison. Mommy says, when I start going to human school, we can pick out a last name.”

“My name’s Christopher Argent, but everyone calls me Chris,” he says.

“Mommy’s Victoria."

“Those are both pretty names,” he offers. “How old are you, Allison?”

“Mommy found me when I was a baby, and she wasn’t sure how old I was. I’ve been with her for six and a half years.”

He files this away. 

Spotting a squad car and a pulled over car, he looks at her in the rear view mirror. “Allison, there’s a police officer. He’s going to help us. I know you’re helping your mom, but you can’t take her pain when he looks in. Don’t say anything about werewolves and hunters. Okay?”

“’kay,” she agrees.

He puts the gun in the dashboard, pulls over, and gets out with his hands up.

The deputy, he sees, is a woman. Her hand is already on her gun, and he sees her quickly take in both his scratch and the broken window. “There were survivors in the country house. A woman and her daughter.”

“What were you-” Shaking her head, she radios for backup as she goes to the van.

Chris keeps his eye on the pulled over pedestrian.

“I’m Officer Tara Graeme,” she tells Allison. “I’m going touch your mother’s neck. Can you tell me how badly you’re hurt?”

“I’m not. I’m dirty. Mommy laid on top of me.”

 _Smart girl_ , he thinks with a sense of pride.

Officer Graeme quickly gets out. “Follow me to the hospital."

…

Once she’s cleaned up and dressed in a t-shirt and pair of overalls, he sees Allison is a pretty little girl. She’s plump with curly, black hair and big, dark brown doe eyes.

He answers numerous questions, and when he’s done, they’re both allowed to sit in Victoria’s room.

The doctors say the damage isn’t as bad as they originally thought, and he hopes this means she’s starting to heal.

When Allison falls asleep on her mother’s bed, he makes some phone calls and discovers Kate has left town.

Sighing, he goes back and sits down.

His gun is back in his waistband, and he’s never killed a human, but if hunters come to a hurt mother and her small child, he’ll do what’s necessary.

…

The next morning, he wakes with a crick in his neck and finds red eyes staring at him.

“My name’s Chris Argent. I haven’t hurt Allison.”

She closes her eyes.

Most of her burns are gone. With this and the cleaning the hospital did, he can finally get a good look at her. Most of her hair was lost in the fire, and what little wasn’t is cut crudely above her ears, but now clean, it’s a vibrant red. The blue eyes must have been her human eyes, he realises. If she wasn’t an alpha before the fire, she became one after her alpha died. She’s tall and has a body he’s often seen on female dancers and gymnasts.

Allison wakes up, kisses her mother, and comes over to him. “Could I have some food, please?”

Wincing, he answers, “Of course."

He doesn’t know much about kids, but he thinks he should have realised she needed food yesterday. The social workers had agreed to let her stay in the hospital for a day or two while they tried to locate any other family members she might have, but once it was clear Allison didn’t need any medical attention, everyone stopped hovering near her.

He hits the call button.

…

“I only get cereal on special occasions,” Allison tells him.

“What do you usually have for breakfast?”

“Mommy makes different things,” she answers. “She says that some people don’t get to eat properly and get enough exercise.”

He nods. “That’s true. It’s not always their fault, though.”

“Mommy says it is. She says that they should, um, it starts with ‘leg’. But she says that people should tell the people in the government to make things better and not be quiet until they do.”

If it weren’t for Victoria being a werewolf, Chris imagines his father would really like her.

“You said you’re going to human school someday. Is your mom home-schooling you?”

Allison looks stricken, and he inwardly kicks himself.

“Jason and Kyla did.” She takes a deep breath. “They talked to her later, but Mommy usually wasn’t around. They said that she was too impatient.”

Based on the guilty look on her face, Chris imagines she privately agreed with them.

“I can read and write,” she adds. “I read Mommy to sleep at night, and we write the grocery lists together.”

“Would you like me to get you some books so you can keep reading to her?”

She gives him a soft smile, and he wonders when he forgot, for however dangerous werewolves can be, they still feel just as deeply and strongly as humans. They still need kindness, compassion, and people to help them out when they go through tough times.

“Look, baby, you said hunters did this. How do you know that?”

“Cause, while Mommy was on top of me, I couldn’t see anything or move, and everything hurt, but I heard things. Someone said werewolves, and my- I could just hear them. They talked- said, ‘It was our duty. Hunters should have never adopted-’” Pausing, she looks over at her mother. “I’m not going to say some of what they said. But they said, ‘a code.’ They called us bad things and bitches in a bad way and said they did what real hunters are supposed to do.”

“Bitches in a bad way,” he repeats.

“A bitch is a girl dog,” Allison informs him. “It’s not bad to call them that, but Kylie said it’s better not to. But sometimes, people call human girls that, and it’s bad. That’s how they meant it. I could tell.”

He sighs. 

…

During lunch, Victoria wakes up fully.

“You’re letting a six-year-old drink soda,” she snaps.

Allison almost knocks said soda over in her rush to get to her mother.

He answers, “This is a rough time for her, and I thought she deserved something she doesn’t normally get.”

Her eyes soften, and he realises, if he didn’t know Allison was adopted, he’d never suspect it. The two both have a similar, high, fine bone structure, pale skin, and wide, somewhat round eyes.

Pulling Allison closer, she breathes in. “You’re right.” Moving so she’s looking at Allison’s face, she asks, “How are you doing, sweetheart?”

…

After a nurse has delivered a set of clothes and shoes, Victoria tells him, “We’re leaving.”

“Let me help you.”

“Your sister burned my pack alive." 

Chris looks down at where Allison is playing with Legos on the floor. She gives him a look, shrugs, and goes back to playing.

“I am grateful for what you did, and there will come a day when I find you again,” Victoria continues. “But right now, I have to look out for my daughter.”

“There isn’t absolute proof my sister was involved."

He wonders when he’s going to learn to think before he speaks.

“But that isn’t the point, I know. I know I can never make right what was done to you and Allison, but-”

She silences him with a look.

“You rescued a mother and her child. You feel a bond to us, and you want to protect us. Nevertheless, you’re part of what we need to get away from. I worked as an accountant. Our alpha, Kyla, was a social studies teacher at the local middle school. Kylie was a college student majoring in biochemistry. Jason worked in tech support at a paper company. And finally, there was fifteen-year-old Cassandra.”

As he’s reeling, she continues, “Every night, Allison and I take a bath. We laugh, play, and talk while we get clean. I smelled the smoke before I heard the screams, and for some reason, I couldn’t get to the door. I don’t know how we ended up in the basement. All I know is that I curled around my daughter and tried to stay conscious against the horrific pain of my burning, peeling skin. I couldn’t even focus enough to take her pain away when I heard her cries.”

“You can condemn what they did, but just like them, you make it your life’s mission to judge werewolves and exterminate those who don’t live up to your criterion,” she finishes.

Moving past him, she leans down. “Allison, come on.”

“I can walk, Mommy.”

“I know, sweetie. But right now, I’ll feel better if I can carry you. Leave the Legos. Someone will pick them up soon.”

Allison crawls into Victoria’s arms.

Standing up fully, Victoria walks out of the hospital.

Despite the hurt, concern, and indignation going through him, he can’t help but think, _What a woman_.

…

When Gerard arrives two days later, Chris spills out his fears.

“That’s a very serious accusation,” Gerard responds. “I know you and Katie don’t get along, but to accuse her of this, on the word of a confused child and a scorned werewolf, no less-”

He doesn’t know what to say.

“You should have left the mother to die.”

“They fit within the code!”

He stares in disbelief. Innocent people are dead. A fifteen-year-old kid is dead. And he thanks God he was, at least, able to save a little girl and her mother.

“I didn’t say they should have been hunted,” Gerard says. “If hunters did do this, it was a violation of the code on their part. However, sometimes, a dying animal should be left to die. That alpha you saved has a grudge against hunters that won’t be changed. She’s going to raise that girl of hers to have the same grudge.”

“And your answer is to leave a child to watch her mother die and fend for herself? Or would you rather I have forcibly taken the girl from her dying mother and done- what exactly?”

Gerard sighs. “I don’t know what I would have done in your shoes. I don’t claim to have all the answers. But I remember the last time you got emotionally attached to a werewolf.”

He sometimes thinks his father brings up Clint just to put him down.

What Victoria chose to ignore is not all werewolves want respectable jobs and a quiet place in human society, and even the ones who do aren’t always capable of staying in control and not hurting humans.

He had a friend, once.

Gerard killed a werewolf in defence, and Chris lost a friend.

If Clint had just let him help- He couldn’t control himself during the full moon, and Chris had wanted to use wolfs bane and electricity to keep him down. Clint had opted to stay in the nearby woods instead.

For two months, Chris patrolled the edges without issue. Then, one night, Clint had decided he was going to head straight into town and kill any obstacle in his way, even if said obstacle was his best friend.

“I’m not emotionally attached to either of them,” he says. “If hunters are responsible, my objection is that innocent people were killed. That a fifteen-year-old girl is lying in a grave. That a mother and her child are homeless. They kept themselves under control during the full moon, and they contributed to society. They were human enough.”

“But not actually human,” Gerard replies. “Your sister protects humans. She’s a respected leader. Police reports conclude arson wasn’t involved.”

“The police and fire department both managed to miss two survivors,” Chris snaps. “They let said survivors leave without taking a statement.”

He does realise the last part probably isn’t anyone’s fault. They did talk to Allison, but her story supported the idea it was a freak fire. Victoria was going to take Allison as soon as she could walk. Even if officers had been there, she likely would have shut them down as effectively as she had him.

“If you can find any credible evidence on your sister, we’ll talk further,” Gerard says. “But don’t waste too much time in this town. There’s a case in Philadelphia that needs attention soon.”

Chris sighs. “I’ll be on my way as soon as I finish sorting things out with the police.”

The county prosecutor has already decided not to press charges. Chris’s weapons are all legal, and he saved the life of two people by breaking into the house, supposedly breaking the window, and hotwiring the van.   

However, the police still want a proper explanation of what he was doing breaking into the house, where, how, and when he got the scratch on his face, and if he can be used to help find Victoria and Allison.

“If you truly believe Kate has in it in her to do such a thing, investigate,” Gerard tells him. “But don’t think you’re being a man by confronting her. She’s always going to be your little sister, Christopher, and unless she’s guilty, she doesn’t need to know you could think her capable of such a thing. For all that the two of you don’t get along, she still respects you. She still worries about you.”

Some days, he feels as if the guilt’s going to kill him.

“What if Kate’s innocent, but some of the hunters who came here with her aren’t?”

“Then, by all means, put them down,” Gerard answers. “If you suspect that, talk to them. Ruthlessly investigate. And if you’re completely sure, then, put a bullet in their heads. I don’t like the thought of any hunter being involved, but I’ll admit I don’t know any of the ones who went with Katie. I just know that my daughter, your sister, is a damn better hunter than either of us will ever be. She may be a bit trigger-happy and enjoy the job a little too much, but your mother never hurt an innocent, and she made sure the rest of followed suit.”

“I’ll leave soon,” he says.

…

Eight months later, he’s sitting in a café in Saratoga, California.

“I’d offer you a cup of coffee,” a familiar voice says, “but I can smell how tired you. You’re going to get yourself killed if you go after the druid in this condition.”

Looking up, he sighs in relief as he takes in Victoria. More than just looking strong and healthy, he realises she’s oddly beautiful. Though still short, her hair is now stylishly cut, her makeup draws attention to the sharp, elegant beauty of her face, her form-fitting black sweater, knee-length gray skirt, black tights, and black pumps subtly brings out her figure, and her simple pearl earrings and necklace in combination with her deep red nail polish complete the look.

“How’s Allison?”

“Fine,” she answers. “She’ll be better once you do something about that druid.”

He nods. “Okay, no coffee, then. What do you recommend?”

“I’ll surprise you.”

When she comes back with a plate of bacon, eggs, toast, and a glass orange juice, she sits down. “Here’s what I’ve gathered so far-”

“You’ve been going after it?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she answers. “I have a seven-year-old daughter. I’ve been discreetly observing and gathering information so that I can keep the two of us safe.”

“Of course.” He starts eating.

“As I was saying…”

…

Once he’s finished and she’s given a thorough list of the druid’s habits, she sets down a bill. “Leave a decent tip.”

“Thank you.”

She stands up.

“Wait- you working this late, is Allison-”

“It’s not ideal, but we’re making through,” she answers with a hint of warning in her tone. “As much as I wanted to give her carefree childhood, at least, she’ll grow up understanding two things: That I love her more than anything, and that when life is unfair, people can either whine and wallow, or they can work their ass off and make countless sacrifices. She’s seeing for herself what those who chose the former have to look forward to.”

She walks away before he can formulate a response.

…

After neutralising the druid, he goes to the park and hopes he doesn’t end up accused of stalking.

Playing in on the monkey bars is Allison. She notices him, flips down, and runs over.

“Hey,” he greets. “Do you remember me?”

She nods. “You’re Chris Argent. You saved us.”

Smiling, he takes her in. She’s a little taller and wearing a cute outfit he’d be willing to bet Victoria helped her put together. “How are you and your mom doing, sweetheart?”

“Allison!”

A scowling Victoria appears with a snow cone. “I told you to stay on the monkey bars.”

“It was my fault,” he quickly tells her.

Shaking her head, Allison says, “I’m sorry, Mom. I’ll listen better.”

“See that you do." She hands the snow cone to Allison. “I tell you to do things for a reason.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Allison agrees. “I’m sorry.”

Sighing, Victoria says, “I’m not mad. Just do better in the future, and eat your snow cone before it melts.”

“Thank you!"

He makes room on the bench, and Victoria guides Allison to sit down in between them. “I assume you handled the druid?”

“Thanks to you, yes.”

“You helped Mister Argent kill the druid, Mom?”

“I ran into him at the diner and gave him some advice.”

Deciding not to go into what he did to the druid, he offers, “You can call me Chris."

“That’s good,” Allison says.

An awkward silence falls.

When Allison finishes the snow cone, Victoria says, “Well, we better go. Come on, honey, there’s a trashcan over there.”

Chris follows. “Let me give you a ride.”

“That’s not necessary. Walking is wonderful exercise, and I carry Allison if she gets too tired.”

“I haven’t gotten tired from walking since I was little,” Allison declares.

Smiling, Victoria squeezes her daughter’s neck. “No, you haven’t, sweetie.”

“Is wherever you’re staying secure?"

He realises he’s grasping at straws.

“Mom says that, if the shelter isn’t safe, we’ll-”

“Allison!”

Immediately quieting, Allison looks up in confusion.

“You’re staying at a-”

“We are making do,” she says. “Allison is well-fed, in school, has a bed, and is adequately dressed.”

Apparently uneasy with the conversation, Allison loudly declares, “Mom’s found me all sorts of pretty clothes at garage sales and the pawn shop where Mr Newton works. Lots of teachers and other kids tell me how nice they are.”

“I’m not- Look, I had nothing to do with the fire. As far as I know, my sister didn’t, either. But I do feel sympathy for what you went through, and if I can, I want to help.”

“I’ve been saving up. We won’t be there forever,” she says.

“You said that you were an accountant, but you’re working as a waitress,” he points out.

“In Huntsville, my paper credentials were enough. Now, the world has changed, and everything is becoming digital. Without Jason, neither of us exists. I had to convince the school that we were from an Amish-like community.”

“I don’t like the name Smith,” Allison says.

“Yes, Allison, I know,” is Victoria's irritated response. “You’ve made that very clear, numerous times. And you can keep making it clear, but until we leave, it’s staying. All you’re doing is annoying me.”

Reaching over, Chris touches her arm. “Let me help you. I know someone who can help set up a digital trail for you and her. My apartment’s small, but it has a guestroom, and it’s in a safer part of town than the shelter. I can drive Allison to school and you to work.”

“I’m assuming this computer person you know-”

“Isn’t a hunter,” he interrupts. “It’s someone I saved from-” He realises the story probably isn’t one he can tell in PG terms. “Isaiah doesn’t have an opinion on werewolves. I call him when I need help involving computers or finding stuff online, and he doesn’t ask questions beyond what I need.”

She gives him a hard look.

“You know I’m telling the truth. Please, for Allison’s sake, let me help.”

Allison gives him a look making it clear she doesn’t appreciate being drawn into this.

Victoria looks down at her daughter. “Allison and I will come look at your apartment. If it passes inspection, we’ll be happy to take you up on that offer. As for the other- I want to discuss that with you in private before I come to a decision.” She reaches down for Allison’s hand. “Come on, dear. We’re going for a ride.”

…

“Sorry for the mess. I know it’s not much to look at, but it has central air and heat. I’d be happy to take the couch,” he adds, “if-”

“Allison still sleeps with me,” Victoria says.

Allison happily nods.

Figuring he has better chance at discovering both the pros and how to fix the cons from Allison than he does from Victoria, he asks, “What do you think, Allison"

“Is Mom going to decorate?”

“No,” Victoria answers.

“Does your mom like decorating?”

Allison looks up, and Victoria sighs.

Nodding, Allison says, “She did our room in Huntsville and helped with our parts of the house. I thought it- I don’t think most grownups slept in rooms like that. None of our pack did. But Mom said that she didn’t care as long as I liked it.”

“And I meant that,” Victoria says. “Someday, we’re going to find a house. When you decide you want your own room, we can decorate for you, and I’ll decorate mine differently. Until then, how a bedroom looks is more important to children than it is to adults. For us, it’s just a place to sleep. For you, it’s a place to play and feel safe when you sleep.”

“Well, you can do whatever you want here. Unfortunately, I don’t have an eye for that kind of detail. Here, let me show the guestroom. If you like my room better, I can take it instead.”

While Allison examines the popcorn ceiling, Victoria murmurs, “I don’t appreciate you using my daughter like that.”

“She’s easier to communicate with than you are," is his unapologetic response.

“She’s a child."

Coming over, Allison tugs at Victoria's hand. “What do you think, Mama?”

…

He calls Gerard to tell him he’s taking a break and staying in Saratoga for a while. Gerard gives him a list of nearby towns whose police might need ammunition.

He locks most of his weapons in the trunk of his car and locks the rest in a chest in his closet. Victoria makes it clear Allison is never, ever to go near the trunk or his closet without permission.

…

One weekend morning, the three are eating breakfast when Allison asks, “Chris, why doesn’t the government give the police guns?”

“They can’t make them out of thin air,” he answers. “The government gives police stations money to buy the appropriate weapons for their jobs. However, the police can’t just go to a gun or weapon store to buy them. There are many qualifications for what kind of weapons they can and can’t have. That’s why it’s my job to find those weapons so that they don’t have to, buy them, and then, sell them to the police.”

“There’s a difference between what you pay and what the police do?”

“Yes. Your mom might be able to explain that better than I can. It has to do with economics.”

Victoria asks, “Allison, do you remember how Kylie sold what she grew in her garden to the Delton’s Grocery Store, and the store sold them to people in town?”

Allison nods.

“And do you remember when…”

… 

While Allison is playing on the basketball court with some of the other tenants, they do dishes.

“You’re very good with her,” Victoria observes.

“I wish I’d had you for my economics teacher.”

“No, you don’t,” she assures him. “Why aren’t you married?”

Caught off-guard, he laughs.

She simply looks at him. “You aren’t backup. You’re an established hunter in your own right from a hunter family. In my observation, those people often marry young and already have two or three children by the time they’re your age.”

“The children part, mostly,” he answers. “My family’s tried to set me up several women over the years, and I’ve really liked some of them. But they all wanted children. I didn’t have an unhappy childhood. I don’t feel deprived or burdened. But I decided a long time ago, that if I had any children, I didn’t want them growing up in the hunter lifestyle. When they were eighteen, I’d explain things so they’d know what kind of world they were really living in, but if they didn’t want anything to do with hunting, I’d make sure it never intruded on them.”

“I can understand, in a way,” she says. “Everyone says that children are so spoiled nowadays. However, there are problems with the youth in every generation. I don’t want Allison to grow up thinking she can just demand things and have them handed over with no work on her part, but at the same time, whenever she wants something I can reasonably give her, I often want to and feel as if I’ll be a bad mother if I don’t. You want to give your children a different life than the one you grew up with.”

“How’d you grow up?”

“Unhappily,” she answers with an edge to her tone. “I was an omega for years before I found Kyla.”

He doesn’t press.

They finish the dishes, and she says, “Chris.”

He turns towards her.

Reaching over, she kisses him. It’s soft, sweet, and the best he’s had in a long time.

“I am attracted to you,” she says. “But this could never be permanent. It’s not particularly something I’d want to explain to Allison.”

“I understand.” He reaches over to touch her face.

…

A week later, Allison is invited to her first sleepover.

“Now, remember, call your mom if you get scared,” Chris says. “No matter what time it is.”

He knows there’s little to worry about. Victoria has talked extensively to the Weisses. The full moon isn’t for several weeks, and there are no hunters or other werewolves around. Millions, if not billions, of little girls go to sleepovers, have fun, and come back safely the next day.

“I’ll be fine,” Allison promises.

He gets the feeling she’s both puzzled and amused by his concern.

“I know you will be, sweetheart,” Victoria says. She kneels down beside them. “But Chris is right. Even if you just want to talk to me, call. Be polite. Remember, if you watch a movie about werewolves, don’t point out the inaccuracies.”

Allison nods. “I’ll call you later tonight, Mom.”

They drop her off, and when they get back home, he finds himself saying, “She’ll be fine. Won’t she?”

“If not, we’ll pick her up and wait a few more years until w- I let her go to another one. Anyway,” she reaches over to stroke his cheek, “since we likely have several hours, at least, of privacy, why don’t we go to your bedroom?”

…

When he was younger, Chris went through a period of one-night stands until Kate made a crack about illegitimate babies.

He spent all his free time trying to locate every one-night stand he had and feeling like a stalker as he did. Something big was on his side, however, because he managed to find them all and determine, if any pregnancy had resulted, it had been dispensed of without fanfare.

Afterwards, he decided he’d better stick to his hand until he found a monogamous partner who he could decide what should be done with in the event of pregnancy beforehand.

When they got to the bedroom, he told Victoria, “I have condoms. What about you?”

“Everything’s taken care of on my end,” she assured him.   

Now, he remembers it wasn’t exactly the physical he missed, though, he’s been thoroughly reminded how good said part can be, but the sense of being close to someone and forgetting all the bad he knows of the world for a while is what he really craved.

Victoria nuzzles closer to him. “Your heart,” she observes.

He kisses her forehead. “What about it?”

“Everything’s usually muted for you, isn’t it? Your heart’s always so steady and consistent. It still is, but it’s stronger. It has a different beat.”

“I’m happy,” he admits.

In response, she kisses him.

…

By the time Allison’s back, they’ve both thoroughly showered, cleaned his bedroom, and ran his sheets through the washer with bleach.

“Everybody had stuffed animals,” Allison tells them.

Smiling, Victoria inquires, “Would you like one, sweetheart?"

“We could go to the fair next weekend, and I could win you one,” Chris offers.

Considering this, Allison suggests, “Or you could teach me how to win one for myself."

Based on the glare he receives at this exchange, he imagines the fact Allison would be curious if he were to disappear is the only thing saving him from being attacked by an alpha.

…

One morning, after Allison's been dropped of at school, he helps her bake cookies.

“Listen, I don’t want you and Allison to leave. I’m about to sign a deal with the police station in Lackaday. I need to invite the captain over for dinner, and I’m not sure what to tell him about the two of you.”

“When is this potential client coming over?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

She puts the cookies in the oven. “See if Wednesday, after seven, is good for him. That would be the best time frame for me to get everything ready. Find out about any dietary restrictions, whether he drinks alcohol, and so on.”

“I’m not- I don’t expect for you to cook.”

“Yes, because, I’m sure the spaghetti or baked chicken with baked potatoes you normally present your prospective clients with makes a wonderful impression. Or at least, I’m hoping you do as much instead of just ordering takeout.” They finish putting the stuff up, and she starts to wash her hands. “Tell him your sister used to live in my town, I took my daughter here when our house tragically burned down, and you’re kindly helping out until I can get back on my feet.”

…

Once Captain Jameson is gone, he says, “Thank you.”

“Surely, there’s a hunter who agrees with your stance on children. It’s painfully obvious you need someone.”

From the couch, Allison interjects, “But, Mom, he has you."

“He won’t forever,” Victoria says.

Frowning, Allison looks back down at her homework.

…

Allison’s been quieter than normal, and he wonders if something about Jameson’s visit upset her.

When he gets her ready for bed, he asks, “Hey, is everything okay, baby?”

“Do you want to have kids someday?”

“Well-” He sighs. “I’m a hunter. Most hunters raise their kids to be hunters. I don’t want to do that. But most of my girlfriends in the past, they wanted to do that once they got married.”

“Why don’t you want them to be hunters?”

“When they’re grown, I wouldn’t mind if they wanted to start training. I just want them to have a safe, happy childhood and grow up to be what they want to be.”

Nodding, she yawns. “It was nice seeing Mom so happy. She liked having people over when we lived in Huntsville, but it didn’t happen very much.”

“I’ll be right in the other room if you need me,” he tells her.

“I know. Thank you.”

He kisses her forehead, makes sure Mr Bear is tucked in properly, and turns off the lights.

…

At 2:14, his phone rings.

“Chris, I need all the backup I can get in Beacon Hills. I emailed you directions. Call collect from payphones if you need to. I’ll accept the charges. God, get a cell phone already!”

Then, Kate hangs up.

He lets out a soft curse he desperately hopes Allison’s preternatural ears didn’t pick up.

Going to her bedroom, he relaxes slightly when he sees she’s sound asleep. After grabbing her favourite colouring book, a pack of crayons, and her slippers, he carefully picks her up.

“Chris,” she murmurs.

“Everything’s fine, but I need to take you to Mommy. Something big is going on in another town.”

Muttering, “'kay,” she falls right back to sleep.

…

As soon as Victoria sees them, there’s a flash of fear in her eyes, and he pre-emptively says, “We’re both fine. Kate needs backup in Beacon Hills.” Handing Allison to her, he puts his coat down on a booth seat. “I’m leaving the keys to the apartment and money for a cab.”

“Just be careful,” she orders.

Retaking Allison, he lies her down. “I’m sorry-”

Practically pushing him towards the door, she says, “We’re fine. Go save some lives. I’ll have some tea and soup when you come back, and you and Allison can share some frozen yogurt.”

He grabs the doorframe before she can push him out. “Thank you. And I am sorry about this.”

“Go,” she commands.

…

There are times when he can’t stand his sister, and there are times he’s terrified at how much he absolutely, genuinely loathes her.

Talia Hale hands him a cup of coffee. “Well, that was certainly interesting. It seems trouble comes in waves for this town.”

“Thank you for your help,” he says, and it comes out crankier than he intended.

“Here." She lays a rainbow crystal hanging from a soft chain on his lap.

“An amulet,” he guesses.

Giving him a vaguely amused look, she manages to reply with only a hint of sarcasm, “A present for your daughter."

“I don’t have a daughter. I’m not married. I don’t even have a girlfriend.”

“Oh,” she says, and he feels her eyes accessing him. “Well, give it to someone special to you, then.”

“Wait. What made you think I had a daughter?”

“It was a way to broach the subject," she replies. "Obviously, it wasn’t a well-thought out one. I understand discretion and would never say anything to your family. But I do hear things, and after hearing them and observing you- there are numerous signs of you being very close to a woman and her daughter. It may come across as presumptuous, but you’re clearly in love with her. Somewhere along the way, all the facts surrounding the child’s conception and her life before you became irrelevant. She became yours.”

“I wanted to assure you I’d never do anything to put the two in danger,” she continues.

He wonders if he should start worrying about other hunters hearing things, too.

“Your heart was steady when you made your statement, and there’s no one but us here. You believe it.”

“It’s the truth.”

“And now,” Talia observes with unbearable pity, “your heart lost its steadiness, and your breath hitched.”

“You know what they are.”

“Yes."

“Surely, you can see the issue, then.”

“No, I can’t,” she says. “I can see that you want me to think it’s the fact they’re werewolves and one of them is an alpha, and you’re a hunter, but none of those things are the real issue.”

…

He goes home to find Allison watching TV.

Coming over to hug him, she says, “Mom let me stay home. How was your, um, whatever happened?”

“It worked out in the end,” he answers. “Where is your mom?”

“Bedroom. She’s working on taxes. I think she might need her own room soon. I can sleep on the couch.”

“Yeah, I don’t think that’ll work,” he says. Sitting down, he asks, “Besides skipping school, has anything else happened?”

“We’re going bathing suit shopping later for when I try-out for the swim team.”

“Chris,” Victoria greets. “Sorry, I heard you, but I was busy typing a strongly worded letter to the IRS. I shouldn’t have to explain basic tax law to them. Stay sitting. I’ll get you some tea. Allison, would you please warm up the soup I made earlier?”

When Allison brings it over, he hands her the rainbow crystal necklace, and the way her soft brown eyes brighten causes his heart to clench painfully.

“Chris? Are you hurt?”

Victoria’s cool hand is on his forehead, and he shakes his head against it. “Just emotionally drained.”

“What can we do,” Allison asks.

“Say thank you for your present, and go play outside, sweetie. I’ll take care of him.”

“Thank you,” Allison says but hesitates until Victoria gives her a gentle push.

When the tea finishes, she brings it over and sits down. Putting her hands on his shoulder and leaning over, she asks, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m in love with you, and I’m pretty sure you feel the same,” he answers.

Stiffening, she quickly moves away. “Chris.”

“There’d be obstacles, but since when have you ever let that stop you?”

“When my daughter is involved and your family- You have to believe your sister is innocent. And I don’t begrudge you that. However, if I ever find evidence she isn’t, I will slash her throat. If your family ever finds out how much we’ve become involved, now, they’ll go after Allison and me. What do you think they’d do to you if you-”

“I’m not as weak as you think I am.”

“You carried me about of a burnt building and sat with my daughter for over a day in the hospital,” she replies. “Over the past few months, I’ve seen even more how strong you can be. I don’t think you’re weak, Chris. I do think you’re too idealistic and naïve at times.”

He scoffs. “That’s a first. I’ve always thought of myself as cynical.”

“Chris.”

“Fine,” he says. “I need to take a shower.”

…

The next day, Allison asks, “Are you going to come to my swim meet since Mom can’t?”

“Of course, sweetheart,” he promises.

“Mom?”

Victoria sets the jam down. “You know that Chris doesn’t lie to us, honey.”

“Can we change my last name so that they don’t call out Allison Smith?”

“No.”

They eat their food in silence.

…

At the swim meet, he immediately notices Allison isn’t stretching with her class.

Looking at him with surprise, the coach greets, “Mister Argent. Did Allison forget something?”

His stomach drops. “You say that as if she isn’t here. Did Victoria come pick her up?”

Giving him a confused head shake, the couch answers, “No. Your sister did. She said there was a family emergency.”

Everything goes deadly still, and he barely manages to stop himself from shoving the coach into a nearby wall.

…

He knows he should call Victoria.

Instead, he calls Gerard. “Where in the hell is Kate?”

“Hello to you, too,” Gerard responds. “Funny you should mention that. She said that she was going to come visit you very soon. I imagine she’s on her way.”

“Where would she stay when she gets here?”

“I’d hope you’d give her the guest bedroom like you did last time,” Gerard answers. “Be careful. She might be transporting an omega, if she hasn’t already killed it.”

“Where would she contain it?”

“I imagine in that abandoned building on the east side of town.”

He hangs up.

...

Part of him makes note of the fact Kate needs to be assigned better hunters as he tazes the last of them and kicks in a door.

He takes in Allison ( _unharmed, thank God_ ) sitting in a circle of mountain ash and desperately clawing at the floor.

“Hello, Chris,” Kate greets. “Smart little girl, isn’t she?”

Kicking his Taser away, she quickly has him against the wall with a knife to his throat.

Pulling his gun, he points it at her head.

“When she realised she couldn’t jump high enough to flip over the invisible barrier, she decided she’d go underground. Where’s mommy dearest?”

“Did you set the fire, Kate?”

“No,” she answers. “Gerard did.”

“Gerard wasn’t in town when it happened. You were.”

Without moving or taking her eyes off him, Kate calls, “Hey, kid. Tell your surrogate daddy if I’m telling the truth.”

“What’s ‘surrogate’?”

“In this instance, it means he’s in love with Mommy and that makes him your dad.”

“Did you kill my pack?”

“No,” Kate answers with pursed lips. “Gerard did.”

“She’s telling the truth,” Allison says. Then, she declares, “I knew you were lying when you said that Chris-”

“Quiet, Allison,” he orders. “Gerard killed an innocent pack. Why? Moreover, why didn’t you stop him? You obviously knew about it.”

“Not until after, big brother,” she answers, and he feels a prick in his side.

She takes the gun as he falls.

 _Allison-_  He desperately tries to move to the circle, his hand falls on the ash, and at some point, he hears a howl.

…

“Chris,” he hears.

“Chris, wake up,” the sharp voice continues.

“Christopher Argent, wake up!”

Victoria blurs in and out of his vision.

Turning, he sees the seal was broken, although, he’s not sure if he did it or if someone managed to manipulate his hand into doing so.

Allison's tiny voice asks, “Can he hear us?"

“Yes,” he croaks out.

“I’m going to help you stand up,” Victoria says. “You can have something to drink, soon. Put your weight on me.”

He feels Allison slip her hand in his free one, and the feeling of her soft, small fingers against his combined with the scent and feel of Victoria so close to him calms the dizziness somewhat.  “W’h- wh- what-”

“Your sister left, and you broke the seal,” Victoria answers. “The other hunters are still unconscious.”

“H-how you here?”

He’s deposited in the car, and Allison crawls in his lap. “Allison found a cell phone on one of them and called. Seatbelt, sweetheart, and remember, if a police officer stops us, Chris had too much to drink at a party and got into a fight with one of his friends.”

…

Nursing a beer, he says, “It’s not safe here. You need to let me call Isaiah.”

“I can’t have children,” she announces.

Looking over, he tries to remember if they ever started such a conversation.

Refusing to meet his eyes, she says, “It’s a myth that werewolves have perfect health. We can be blind, deaf, infertile, and so on. When human doctors diagnosed me, I didn’t want to believe them, and I found someone who specialised in werewolves. The diagnosis was unchanged.”

“I’m sorry.” He squeezes her hand.

“It’s part of the reason- I wasn’t going to leave a baby to die, but the normal course of action would have been to discreetly drop her off somewhere. I held her in my arms, soothed her crying, and I thought, ‘She needs a home, and if I give her away, how can I be sure she’ll have a good one? I can give her that.’”

“And you have,” he agrees.

She squirms slightly.

“Victoria, what is it? You aren’t one to dance around things.”

“You’ve never asked if she was once human.”

He knows most born werewolves don’t manifest werewolf abilities until puberty. He’s occasionally wondered if Allison’s activated early because of the fire or if she was bitten, and based on Victoria’s tone, he’s relatively sure she just admitted to the latter.

“No,” he agrees, “I haven’t. I’m not a statistician, but I’m guessing the odds of a werewolf coming across an abandoned werewolf baby are pretty low. Sometimes, people have to make exceptions on both sides. It doesn’t matter whether Kyla bit her at some point or you did. As far as I know, Kyla didn’t make it a habit of biting without consent, and I know you don’t.”

Sighing, she leans against him. “I think everything you need to know about me can be summed up in my choice of literature. For all its racism, Gone with the Wind is my favourite book. Scarlett O’Hara’s priorities are often ridiculous, and she does despicable things. Nevertheless, the fact she goes after what she wants with little guilt and no apologies has always spoken to me. When she and her family were in danger, she did everything she had to do without complaint and wasn’t afraid to recognise the hypocrisy and stupidity of those around her.”

“I don’t think so,” he says. “I mean, all that’s true, but there’s a big difference between you and her. She always wanted to be perceived a certain way. Unless there were extraordinary stakes, I can’t see you acting helpless or not telling a person to go to hell if you dislike them.”

“Depending on the circumstances, I might have a little more tact than that,” she says. “But point taken.”

“I know who you are, Victoria. Why do you seem to think I don’t?”

“You were right,” she says. “I’m in love with you, and I know you love Allison. But before I commit to anything, I want to make sure you know what you’re getting into. If you want biological children, if you want a softer woman to share your life with, you won’t be getting either from me.”

He kisses her.

“Chris-”

“Once I dropped you and Allison off at the hospital, I had an out. That day at the park, I had an out. I had an out when you kissed me. When I confessed my feelings and you turned me down, I had an out. Today, I have another one, but I’m not going to take it. Usually, by the third time, a pattern’s set.”

She kisses him.

…

Everything is almost packed when Allison asks, “Why is Chris going with us?”

“We’ll talk about that in a minute,” Victoria answers. She kneels down. “You don’t have to go by Smith anymore, honey.”

“Finally,” Allison breathes out.

“Chris and I were thinking of another name,” Victoria continues, “but if you don’t like it, we can pick out something different for you.”

“Is it boring and has a thousand listings in the phone book?”

“I highly doubt there are a thousand listings, darling, and just because something is commonplace doesn’t make it boring.”

“I don’t know, I got bored after counting twenty Smiths,” is Allison’s response. “Sometimes, instead of naming a lost person ‘Doe’, the police will call them ‘Smith’.”

“The etymology-”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Chris says. “But maybe we should just tell her the name we were considering?”

“Yes, of course,” Victoria agrees. She takes a breath. “Honey, how would you feel about being Allison Argent?”

There’s a squeal, and Chris looks over to see Allison hugging Victoria.

Then, suddenly, he finds a little girl attached to his leg.

 _My little girl_ , he thinks in awe.

…

He sets up a consulting firm, but unfortunately, they find themselves moving more than the three of them would like.

He wishes he could remember when exactly Allison started calling him ‘Dad’. It seems he should know the origin of something so important.

Instead, there comes a day when he realises it’s been happening for years.

_“Dad, sixteen is old enough to start practising archery,” Allison tells him. “Maisy Jackson started practising when she was ten.”_

_“Your father doesn’t give a damn about the car, Allison,” Victoria snaps. “Sweetheart, he cares about you. It doesn’t matter if you hit a car, a person, a stop sign, or a dog, you always call the police or us. That’s why we bought you that cell phone.”_

_Someone compliments the clay statute in his office, and he says, “My daughter made it for me."_

When Allison’s seventeen, Talia Hale contacts Victoria, and they find themselves moving to Beacon Hills. They give pictures of Kate and Gerard to the school and make it clear both of them and the police are to be called if either show up and try to gain access to Allison.

…

On a school bench, Allison talks to her mom over the phone. “Mom, I think you’re being a little overprotective. I’ll be fine. If I need anything, I’ll find Cora.”

She really hopes she doesn’t need anything.

Cora Hale is a sullen girl who refused to speak to her more than strictly necessary. From what Allison gathered, only Peter, Cora’s uncle, can make Cora smile, and Cora seemed to resent him for doing so.

“I know, sweetheart. I always worry when you start a new school.”

“It’s fine,” Allison assures her. “I think I’ve already made a friend. A nice girl named Lydia loved the jacket you gave me last year, and we’re going to have lunch together.”

“Okay, sweetie. Just remember to get all of your homework assignments. Oh, and remember we’re having Sheriff Stilinski over for dinner tomorrow. You may stay out until eight tonight, but tomorrow, I’m dropping you off, and your father’s picking you up.”

“Eight?”

“Alright, you may stay out until ten, but I expect a phone call every hour.”

“Thank you,” she says. “And I remember. Love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

Hanging up, she turns her phone off. Suddenly, her ears prickle, and she hears from a distance, “Oh, man. Stiles, please, tell me you have an extra pen. I can’t believe I forgot them all!”

Uneasy, she takes a deep breath and thinks of her family. She hasn’t lost control in years, and she desperately hopes her hearing amplifying without her concentration is just a minor flare.

Standing up, she looks around, and she sees two boys standing near a window. One of them has black hair and brown eyes, and she somehow just knows he’s the one who’s suffering from lack of pens.

Going inside, she finds her class and wonders if the cosmos hates or loves her when she sees the only free seat is behind him.

Opening her bag, she discovers her Mom made sure to pack plenty of extra pens, pencils, and notebooks. Despite her confusion and uncertainty increasing, she reaches over and sets a pen down on his desk.

Maybe you should have talked to him, first, an irritated, embarrassed part of her chimes in.

He turns, and she resists the urge to jump out of the window. He has the sweetest brown eyes she’s ever seen, and he smells better than she thought a teenage boy could.

Giving her a big, soft smile, he breathes out, “Thank you!"

Before she can answer, the teacher comes in, and he quickly turns back around.

Was this how Mom and Dad felt when they first started to get to know each other, she wonders.


End file.
